The New and Living Way

19 Therefore, brothers, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way that He has opened for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh,                           Hebrews 10:19-20 MEV



  Have you ever been working on a project or an assignment and not getting much success? Were you slightly frustrated with the lack of progression? Later on, when you found out there was a better way and you employed its use and found success, surely frustration gave way to relief and celebration as the project was completed.

 When God cut the New Covenant, all of Heaven celebrated. This Covenant is a better Covenant. It is founded on better promises. Do we really understand what that means?

 The Old Covenant promises were made by God to man predicated on man's ability. In essence, it was a promise made by both God and man. The Old was a pact between God and man. The problem wasn't God but mankind. We could never uphold our promise to do and do more and do it perfectly. Of course, understanding Grace we know that was the point of the Old, to show mankind their need for a Savior.

 The New Covenant is a Covenant and a promise between God and Jesus. Within the Godhead, this New Covenant was cut and ratified by the precious Blood of God the Son. This is the better promise. 

 This New Covenant then introduced a new and living way to live. Under the Old, we had a way to live that only brought condemnation. The yearly sacrifices could never cleanse sin but merely cover it. The consciousness of sin was ever-present. 

The New, a Better Covenant

 The New is a better Covenant. Under the Old, we had to earn our righteousness. We had to keep the Mosaic Law. Paul tells us the words written on stone are the ministry of condemnation and death. Under the New, we have the ministry of Righteousness. Grace made a way. Jesus took the sin problem and nailed it to the Cross. Now we have a New and Living way to live under this New Covenant.

Faith, the New and Living Way

  The Old Covenant was a covenant that was rooted in performance. It was a covenant that forced the people to walk by sight and not Faith. One's righteousness was seen by men. That is one knew you were righteous because they observe you going to the Temple. They saw you honor the Sabbath. They could see you abstain from forbidden food and keep the holy days. 

 Faith is the New and Living Way He established in the New. Our receiving the blessing and favor of God is no longer tied to our performance or behavior. It is received by Faith. Our Righteousness is a Righteousness of Faith and not of Law or works or our ability.

 Paul clearly shows us why Faith is the way of the New in Romans 4. He speaks such a powerful truth. It is by Faith so it may be by Grace.

16 Therefore the promise comes through faith, so that it might be by grace, that the promise would be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all Romans 4:16 MEV

Faith is the New and Living Way. We walk by Faith and not by sight. When we don't feel Righteous or look Righteous and God forbid sometimes don't even act Righteous, Faith still reminds us of who we really are. We are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by Faith. By Faith, not works, not performance, not being perfect. 

 Faith is one of the most vital truths a Christian should know, understand, grow in, and walk-in. In fact, three times in the New Covenant God reminds us that the Righteous live by Faith. We don't live by Law and Faith. It's not our performance and then a little Faith. It's not a little doubt and a little Faith. We live by Faith.

11 Now it is evident that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, for “The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 MEV

 Faith is the means by which we receive all God has for us. Grace makes and Faith takes. The beautiful part of this is the fact that God also gives us His Faith in order to live this New and Living Way. 

...but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4b MEV

 We live by His Faith, not something we drum up or strive to achieve. His Faith not our own.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8 MEV

 This Faith is not of yourself but the gift of God. God has dealt to all the same measure of Faith. God is a Good God.

 Faith is alive. Faith speaks, it agrees with God. Faith knows, it knows God's will and ways because it comes from the Word and promises of God and the Finished Work of Christ. Faith grows, the more we feed on God's Word the stronger our Faith. 

 In summation, we have a better way in this New Covenant. Grace made a new way, cut a New Covenant. Faith is now the New and Living Way we live under the New. Our Righteousness is received by Faith not works. Our fellowship with God is based on His Love, His Grace, and our Faith agreeing with and freely receiving from Him. We can have confident Faith, that God honors our Faith, but it's not faith in our Faith but rather Faith in His Faith and Finished Work. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay